The Archman

Chapter 46 - A Savage Divulgence

Adrulac sits in the artificial lighting of his study, hunched over his desk on his elbows and peering down at the papers strewn about it. He sits back in his chair and pushes his spectacles up onto his face, keeping his eyes glued to his work. There are three large maps laid out before him, each one presenting vastly different amounts of detailed information. He glances back and forth between the maps and a small compass laying flat on the desk.

He was finding it to be a grueling process, trying to keep himself fixed upon a single task. It wasn't a problem he was used to experiencing, but lately his imagination was compelling more and more of his attention as it concocted elaborate fantasies of what he would do to Eira once they could return to one another's intimate company. Though he had initially teased her for her lack of willpower, he was becoming increasingly sympathetic to her ordeal.

He had done the calculations in his head many times over to determine the earliest possible moment they could be together, but he still felt the need to see it laid out clearly.

He reaches down to one of the drawers built into the oakwood desk, opening the bottommost drawer on his right and fishing out a brown leather-bound booklet, all without lowering his gaze from the maps. He flips it open and peruses through the pages until he lands on one about halfway through the booklet, holding it open to read its contents. The page, just as with many others, is sectioned off into seven columns, each one marked with a different day of the week. There are a couple vague scribblings in a few of the columns, save for one, which has a large "X" marked over the bottom half.

Adrulac's attention lifts from a previously detached lethargy to an animated dismay as he notices the bold "X" mark across the column. He quickly snaps the book shut and removes his glasses, dropping them inattentively on the table instead of returning them to their proper case. He gets up out of his chair and makes his way to the door, scolding himself for letting such a crucial occasion slip his mind once again.

Meanwhile, Eira stands in the corridor of the lower decks, attending to the many oil lamps which are illuminated across the walls. She has a metal pitcher in her hands filled with a viscous, transparent liquid, which she pours into the tops of the lanterns. The combustible substance drains through a funneled cone, disappearing into the inner machinations of the lantern.

It wasn't an easy task to get used to, as the lanterns are at a height much more suited to someone of Adrulac's stature, and thus requires her to stand on her toes and pour the oil blindly. Despite the complications posed by this assignment, she was glad to at least have something to preoccupy her from her thoughts.

It wasn't an immaculate defense, however, as an occasional musing would surface in her head, telling her to disregard any risks and rush straight to Adrulac for the relief of his touch. She tamps down the pestering deliberations, somewhat disturbed at the frequency with which they arose. It was like they were being concocted by some foreign being that resided inside her.

Eira snaps out of her ponderous state when she hears Adrulac's familiar metal-on-wood footsteps coming down the stairs. She finishes filling the lamp she is working on when he enters the corridor and walks straight up to her. He is moving with a calm urgency, draping his hood up over his head and pulling a pair of leather gloves over his hands.

"Adrulac?" Eira is perplexed to see him moving at an unusually rapid pace, setting down the metal pitcher in her hands quickly. The foreign being inside her hopes desperately that he's come to tear her clothes off and push her up against the wall, but judging from the look of exigency on his face, that is unfortunately not the case.

"Come on." Adrulac takes Eira by her wrist, guiding her back the way he just came, up the stairs.

"Wha- hold on, where?" Eira asks with growing bewilderment.